Diet of meat pies and red wine fuels Sydney man to run around the world in record time

SCOTT BEVAN: Now if you were going to run around the world, you'd think your diet would consist of high-protein foods, lots of carbohydrates and plenty of water.

But Tom Denniss reckons the best body fuel is meat pies and red wine, along with a keen sense of adventure.

And Mr Denniss should know - he's just finished a record-breaking, 30,000 kilometre run around the globe and along the way, he's raised $50,000 for charity.

Eliza Harvey was at the finish line and prepared this report.

(Sound of clapping and cheering as Tom Denniss crosses the finishing line)

ELIZA HARVEY: Tom Denniss arrived at the Opera House at lunchtime, where his running odyssey began on New Year’s Eve in 2011. After 30,000 kilometres on your feet, you'd think you might crawl to the finish.

But the 52-year-old looked comfortable as he addressed the waiting media, as if he'd just returned from a gentle midday jog.

TOM DENNISS: Oh no, no, it's ah… you've got to run a bit faster than that to get out of breath.

ELIZA HARVEY: Is it a little bit overwhelming, emotional?

TOM DENNISS: Yeah, it's… well just all the attention's a bit overwhelming you know after being out in the middle of nowhere for so long. Yeah it's a... but I'll cope!

ELIZA HARVEY: Tom Denniss is an adventure seeker. He's a mathematician and entrepreneur, who was working for Macquarie Bank in 2011 when he wanted a change.

So he decided to run around the world, with the help of his wife Carmel, who kept a photo diary.

The toughest part was running across America in 60 degree heat. But no adventure is complete without some scary times.

TOM DENNISS: Yeah I almost didn't make it, cause ah… running over the Andes, I was there a little bit too early before the snows had melted and the road was snowed in and I almost… I had to try to get around it and I almost fell down a thousand foot ice cliff. So I reckon that was only about a 50/50 chance at the time that I was going to get out.

Probably the scariest was for Carmel when she had a gun pointed at her a couple of times in the US. But anyway we’ve survived.

CARMEL DENNISS: Oh, well um, the first time was a duck hunter, it was duck season and apparently I was invading his territory, so he just aimed his rifle straight at me. And the next fellow, I happened to be pulling into his driveway and he didn't like that so out he came with his enormous shotgun and aimed it straight at me and that was awful.

ELIZA HARVEY: But they prefer to focus on the positives; the $50,000 raised for the charity, Oxfam, and overcoming the logistical hurdles, like eating enough food to fuel the extreme challenge.

When he was crossing the Nullarbor, a team of committed friends would thaw out frozen pies at night. In the morning, they'd deposit the pies at markers along the route and cover them with rocks until he arrived.

Tom Denniss would finish off the meat pie diet with a couple of glasses of red wine at night.

(Sound of kids getting an autograph)

TOM DENNISS: Have you got any paper?

KIDS: Oh you can write on my hand.

GIRL: Yes do it on my hand. Yes.

TOM DENNISS: I'll just put my initials on it alright?

ELIZA HARVEY: Some of the loudest cheers came from the children from St Charles Primary School at Waverly, where Carmel Denniss teaches.

STUDENT: I think Tom has achieved a remarkable feat and he has helped so many people around the world and so he should be proud of himself.

STUDENT 2: It's a really big achievement and it takes a lot of courage and stuff to do it.

ELIZA HARVEY: And could you imagine running around the world?

STUDENT 2: I can't even run for an hour. I was like walking 10 kilometres on Sunday and I was like tired.

ELIZA HARVEY: This afternoon, the Denniss family was off to celebrate at the pub.

There's a cycling trip to Victoria in a fortnight and then he's considering a victory lap.